


Timeless

by SandscriptTale



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), ワンパンマン | One-Punch Man
Genre: Crossover, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 12:32:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5497172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandscriptTale/pseuds/SandscriptTale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While undergoing a new software update to improve his body, something happens that causes Genos to be stuck in a place called "Rhyme", where he meets a blue haired man that claims he is also stuck. As Genos tries to return to the "real" world, he finds discovering more about himself than just the man named "Ren".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Timeless

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I wrote this for someone on Instagram who loves Ren more than anyone I've ever met(and can you blame her?). And since she also enjoy cosplaying !genderbend versions, I decided to somewhat add it on here... so I hope it comes to no ones surprise that someone is female. I already said who its going to be so not that its a secret..
> 
> Anyways I wasn't sure what pronouns to use, using she/her didn't sound right, but neither did he/him so I chose to use gender-neutral they/them. I'm sure I messed up at points so if you catch that don't hate me please haha.

i.

"It shouldn't take long, all this software will do is improve the speed at which your neurons sync with the circuits that connect to your body and weapons. It will drastically increase your reaction time."

Genos only nodded slightly as Dr. Kuseno plugged various cords from his computer to his body, mainly to the sides of his head where the ports to his neurons were located. Although he had never spoken it a loud, there was always a sense of nervousness when something was attached to his head. While the majority of his body was a cyborg, he considered his mind the last truly human part of him, and a large part of him took pride in it and saw it as important.

"I know you're not a fan of these kinds of procedures, but I promise that it'll be worth it," the doctor smiled kindly at him, and once more, Genos only nodded, not even slightly surprised that that doctor was aware of this when he had never voiced it to him.

He trusted him.

He had trusted him with his body, and he trusted him with his mind. Nothing mattered as long as he could become stronger. To become as strong as Saitama and take revenge on the cyborg that destroyed his town and killed his family.

Genos relaxed as he stared up into the ceiling of the room, the click of computer keys in the background as the doctor worked on setting up the program.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

Closing his eyes, Genos heard one final click before he felt a sharp but painless current shoot through his head.

\------

Genos had gone through enough software updates to know what was expected.

So even before he opened his eyes, he knew that the odd pressure in his head, and the lightness of his body was unusual. For a second, he wondered if this was just part of the update, but something told him that wasn't the case. His body didn't _feel_ like his body. A feeling he had never felt before.

So when he finally opened his eyes, his body was immediately alert.

This place was _not_ Dr. Kuseno's lab. The brightly lit room and hard metallic table on which he had last laid on was gone, and instead, he was surrounded by an odd scenery. The landscape itself was pure white, with bright colored pixelated structures surrounded him, bright pink, blue, white, and gold. If he were to describe this, he would have called it a form of abstract computer art.

He felt as if he was floating among the scenery, and frowned as he stood up from what felt like mid-air. Could this be real? Was this part of the update Dr. Kuseno had done for him? Never before had this happened, and he felt his body tense.

Taking a moment to gather his senses, and undeterred by the unexpected events, Genos decided it would be more productive to explore this odd place, and see if anything could be done to return him to Dr. Kuseno's lab.

As he began walking, he noticed that the landscape would spontaneously change. The pixels that seemed like formless blobs would turn into things he actually recognized. Mostly, it seemed to be animals.

A red bird, multiple white rabbits, a pink cuckatoo, transparent jellyfish, and most commonly, a blue pomeranian dog. The animals would only momentarily appear, seemingly to move through the landscape before the pixels would once more lose its shape and become formless blobs in the odd scenery around. At one point. He had tried to follow them, but whenever he seemed to get close they would simply dematerialize.

He was so absorbed into watching these living pixels that he almost missed the large blast headed his way.

"Jubilation Set."

The words barely reached his ears before a large blue blast headed his way, and Genos barely had enough time to jump away and cross his arms in front of himself to shield himself from the sheer power behind the surprise attack.

"What the..." his eyes narrowed as his gaze zoomed towards the direction of where the blast had come from, towards the floating figure of a man wearing what looked like an oversized blue cloak and strange headgear that masked most of his face.

At the sight, Genos wondered if this mysterious figure was responsible for his being here. Had he perhaps set a trap to send him here only to dispose of him?

Frowning at the thought, Genos stood his ground as he glared up at the figure.

"Are you the one that brought me here?"

He watched as the figure of the man moved closer, seeming to glide through the air until Genos could see him as clearly as the pixels around him.

"Interesting. It seems you are not a virus after all..."

Genos blinked, perturbed by the deep voice of the man that stood before him and the words of which he spoke.

"What do you mean?" He questioned, slightly relaxing himself as the threat of the man seemed to dissipate.

The man seemed to approach him even further, so that only a few feet separated them. From that distance, Genos could clearly see his pale and smooth complexion.

"Viruses often enter this place while traveling through the web. When I sensed a foreign presence, I assumed it was another virus I had to dispose of,” the man paused, as if regarding him thoughtfully.

“However... you seem... _human_."

The man's head titled slightly, as if surprised and perturbed by the thought of a human being present. Although Genos had long ago stopped considering himself human, he was more confused by this person than anything. Were they even a person?

"Who are you? And where am I?" He questioned.

The man in question remained silent for a moment, perhaps thinking whether he should answer the questions from this intruder or not, but before long he decided to indulge them.

"My name is Ren. And you are in a place called Rhyme. At least, what remains of it. Who are you, young lady?"

"I'm— _young lady_?" Genos stopped as his eyes widened slightly at the chosen words from Ren.

For the first time however, he noticed that his voice did not sound like his voice, instead it was higher pitched, and as something clicked and he looked down, he realized that for the first time in his life... he was unable to see his feet. Not counting the times they had been blown off of course.

Instead... two large breasts that were barely covered by a shirt stood out in his chest.

"What the!" Eyes widening, Genos then noticed that not only did he have breasts, but as he stumbled backwards in surprise, his hair whipped out in front of him, much longer than his usual cut. His hair was still the same color, but now it seemed to reach past his shoulders.

"Why am I a girl?!" Genos exclaimed out loud. What in the world was going on? Not only was he in some sort of weird computer world with a strangely dressed guy, now he suddenly had a female body?!

"You mean to say you are not usually a girl?" If Ren had looked confused before, now he looked down right lost.

Genos frowned.

"No! I'm a male!"

Ren did not immediately reply as he watched Genos twirl and spin to see as much of his—er—her body as she could, and averted his gaze when she began to feel the breasts on her chest.

"How is this possible?"

Ren chanced to look back at the girl who was apparently not a girl, and was glad to see that although she seemed rather disturbed, had stopped exploring her body.

"That is interesting. Perhaps it has to do with how you arrived here? You are the first non-virus to have entered this place after all."

At the response, Genos glared and pointed a finger at the man.

"Speak... what kind of place is Rhyme? The last thing I remember was receiving a software update, and when I awoke I was suddenly in this place."

This time, his answer came without delay.

"I see. Rhyme is what was once a popular simulation game, where players and their partners called Allmates would battle each other. After an incident however, the game was shut down, and what you see here is what remains of it."

Genos frowned, but absorbed the information. It was indeed helpful, and made some sense as to why they might be here. Could something have gone wrong during the software update? Although it was hard to imagine, Dr. Kuseno might have made a miscalculation, and sent their consciousness into the remnants of this game.

"I see. Then it could be possible that the software went wrong somewhere during the procedure, and I was somehow sent here... and given this female avatar form by the game itself to accommodate my consciousness. These breasts however... are quite exagerated."

For the first time, Ren's stoic posture broke as he chuckled lightly.

"I believe it is called.... fanservice..."

Genos blinked, eyeing the small grin on the face of this stranger.

"Ren was it?"

"Yes."

"Are you part of this game? Are you the only one, or are there others?"

Ren once more remained silent, and soon Genos grew impatient. It didn't help that the headgear that Ren wore made it harder to read him, besides the slight tensing of his body.

"Well?"

Finally, Ren spoke.

"Yes. I am the only conscious being in this game. While some programing remains, the vast majority has been destroyed by viruses over time. Tell me..."

Ren hesitated, and Genos realized almost immediately why that was.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier, my name is Genos."

"Thank you... Genos. I too have several questions I would like answered. You've said you were receiving a software update, does that mean you are not human?"

Genos was slightly surprised by the question.

"I was born human, but a few years ago I was made into a cyborg. My body is that of a robot, while my mind is what remains of who I used to be."

Genos had never had qualms about revealing his circumstances, and as far as they could see, if they wanted answers, it was probably best to be honest from the beginning.

"I see. Then are you able to tell me the current year in your world?"

As Genos answered his question, he could almost see the sagging of Ren's shoulders at the answer. He seemed almost disappointed and sorrowful, as of he had given him the worst news he could have possibly received.

"I see... then that means he truly is gone."

Genos was surprised to find that it seemed his assumption was correct, as the tone of Ren's voice was pained, pained in the way of someone who has come to terms with a great loss.

He didn't mean to ask, he knew that it wasn't his place, or even the right time. But before he knew it, he had already asked.

"Who?"

Ren looked up, towards the odd and empty void that was Rhyme, full of formless pixels of bright blues and pinks, a grimace on his lips.

"The only person I've ever cared about... he would have long passed from old age by now."

Genos frowned, the beginning of curiosity seeping into his chest as he watched the figure in front of him. Here he was, trapped in what seemed to be the remnants of a game, in a female avatar, staring at what _should_ be an advanced computer program within the game. But something in the way he stood... the way he projected himself, the way he seemed so _sad_ at the loss of this person, seemed much too _human_ for a program, regardless of how advanced.

And just like that, something clicked.

"Just how long have you been stuck here?" as he spoke those words, Genos somehow knew, that he had hit the nail on the head.

As Ren turned to look back at him, Genos was surprised to see the headpiece and cloak disappear, revealing gold eyes upon a sharp face with markings on each cheek, a lean body with tattoos that wrapped around his upperarms, and a collar around his neck. But none of that was as striking as the sad smile that played upon his lips, a broken smile that reached his eyes, and this time, there was no headpiece that hid its full affect from him.

"A very long time."

ii.

Genos already knew that returning to his body in the "real world" would not be an easy task.

For one, something told him that Ren wasn't here by choice exactly, if the loss of that special person was anything to go by. He knew that Ren must have at some point tried to leave this place, in order to be with the person he cared about. Wouldn't anyone in that situation do the same?

Just from the limited information Ren had given him, he knew that his circumstances weren't exactly simple. And although the curiosity in his chest continued to grow, he had never been the type to pry into someone's personal matters if it didn't concern him.

What concerned him more now... was finding a way back to his body. He couldn't afford to remain in this place. There was too much he still had to do. He was an avenger. He needed nothing more than to destroy the cyborg that had taken so much from him. He needed to return, to get stronger.

Also... these breasts were much too big. They were distracting and uncomfortable, even in this online avatar. They was glad that bodily functions weren’t something she needed to be concerned about.

For a long time, Genos only waited. Ren had done his part, and investigated on how he had arrived. But it seemed that no matter how many diagnostics he ran, there was nothing to explain how Genos had ended up in Rhyme.

And it didn’t take long for Genos to notice something else, something that actually unnerved him further.

_“Ren, is there a reason there is no sense of time here?”_

_Ren had turned to them then, as if he was surprised by their observation._

_“So you’ve noticed. Indeed, Rhyme seems to have a warped sense of time. It’s impossible to tell if minutes, hours, or even years have gone by. That is why I asked you the year when you first arrived.”_

_At the information, Genos couldn’t help but frown._

_“How much time has passed since you arrived here?”_

_Once more, Ren hesitated, but met his gaze regardless, his gold irises meeting his own in a gaze that set him on edge in a way nothing else had before._

_“300 years.”_

As Genos walked through the landscape, they noticed a pixelated tree take form among the pixels.

"Chirp!"

Genos watched as a red bird, named "Beni" as Ren had explained, land on the pixelated tree.

_"He was one of my friends, but only a fragment of my memories. Over time I have learned to control the programming of this place. Most of it is now attached to my conciousness, so it isn't unusual for things to take the shapes and forms of things within my memory."_

It seemed that Ren had gained the ability to manipulate this world as he saw fit. He could change the landscape, create mountains, beaches, cities. He had shown him quite a bit, but Genos noticed that most of the time he preferred the plain white landscape with the blue and pink pixels.

It didn't take long to understand why. Whenever he created the more complex landscapes, he could almost feel the deeper loneliness that he imagined Ren would feel. Even when he created the holograms of people, it wasn't as if they could speak or act like a real person would. They existed, but they lacked the most important thing; a _soul_. They had no desire, no ambition, no personality.

300 years.

How could someone exist for 300 years in an empty place like this?

Genos wasn’t the type to feel pity, but here and now, they couldn’t help but feel a slight pain in their chest as they tried to wrap their mind around what Ren must have experienced over the time he had been here.

Ever since their family was killed, they considered their own existence as a lonely one. But even then, they had Dr. Kuseno, and a goal to strive for. A purpose that they clinged to with an iron grasp. It pushed them forward, and made them capable of living with their loss. But here… Ren had nothing. An empty landscape that he could control, but even then, he could never achieve any form of companionship, or any form of living. Here, he could only _exist_.

_He’s strong_ , Genos found themselves thinking one day.

It took an unimaginably strong will to continue to exist that way.

iii.

Genos didn’t know how long had passed, but it felt like months at this point.

Gradually, they too had learned to control the landscape. Ren had called them a fast learner, but they definitely didn’t have the type of control that Ren had over Rhyme. They weren’t able to create landscapes, only small sections. They could create a tree, a bridge, a train, a playground.

Still, it gave them something to share with Ren.

They weren’t sure when or how it started, but slowly, they began to share their memories.

It must have been when Genos explained to him about the Heroes and Villains and the world they came from. They were able to create the villains that Genos had fought up to that point. After all, sleep wasn’t a necessity here. They had all the time in the world and more it felt. The only one that Genos hadn’t shown Ren yet, was the biggest villain of them all.

“So you’ve fought all of them? You must be very strong,” Ren had said one day, a small smile on his lips and a warmth in his golden eyes that made them glow brighter than the sun they remembered from back home. It caused an odd feeling in their chest, and they had to look away.

“I’m strong… but not strong enough. Not yet at least.”

Ren had looked at them then, as if waiting for them to continue, to elaborate. He had changed the landscape for once, probably in consideration for Genos. He had chosen a nighttime landscape, with an infinite number of stars and two large moons that casted a bright light upon them. They were on a grassy hill, where lightning bugs were scattered about and fireflies flew around them.

“When I was fifteen years old, a mad cyborg came to my town. They destroyed everything, and killed my family. I wanted nothing more than to destroy that monster, to take revenge for my town and family. So I begged a scientist to make me into a cyborg. I didn’t care what it took, as long as I could become strong enough to avenge them. Over time, I thought I was getting strong enough, until I met my Master. Saitama.”

Genos looked down, clenching their feminine hand into a fist. This body often made them forget who they were, who _he_ was. In this body, they weren’t a cyborg, or even a man, and although they had tried to manipulate it and make it resemble their true form, it seemed it was one factor Rhyme wouldn’t let them change.

“Master Saitama is the strongest man on Earth. No one has been able to defeat him, and I don’t think anyone ever will. The more I see him, the more I see of his power, the more I wonder if I will ever be strong enough. It seems as if time and time again he is the one rescuing me. If it weren’t for him, I would have long been destroyed, and I would have never achieved my goal.”

For some reason, they felt vulnerable with sharing this information, and Genos couldn’t understand why. This was part of their history, and it truly wasn’t a secret to anyone. But for some reason, they felt hesitant about sharing this insecurity with Ren. They didn’t want Ren to see them as weak.

“It seems to me,” Ren spoke up, breaking Genos from their thoughts, “That you do not need to be stronger than this Saitama hero. You need only be stronger than the Cyborg, so that you may defeat it, do you not?”

Genos felt something then. Their eyes widened at an odd stirring at Ren’s words. It was as if they had been hit by ice cold water, and they felt both foolish and embarrassed. It was as if Ren had stated the obvious, at the clear answer that was right in front of their face, but that had been completely overlooked. But it seemed Ren wasn’t quite finished.

“It is as you say, if it weren’t for Saitama, you would not be here. And regardless of the circumstances, I am glad you are here.”

Genos took a surprised breath in, the simulated heart in their chest skipping a beat at the warmth in Ren’s eyes. It was rare when they saw emotion in Ren’s eyes, but lately, Genos had noticed a gradual change in this mysterious man. It was as if he had begun to thaw before their very eyes, and now, he seemed very considerate to them. It was the small things, like the way he would change the landscape from his preferred form, the way he would always fill them in on the latest research he had done in his investigation to the circumstances that brought Genos there. Several times, Ren had also been almost _playful_ , in the way that he would create an animal that would follow him around the landscape, or create a ball so that they could play fetch with the dog.

Was it just them, or did their face actually feel hot? Were they actually _blushing_?

Genos couldn’t help but hide their face by bring up their knees, mindful of the short skirt and making sure it didn’t hike up too much.

“Why is that?” they asked, almost shyly, something Genos had never in their life felt before and had a hard time recognizing. The more they talked with Ren, the more confused Genos begun to feel. Why did he seem to bring out things so uncharacteristic of them? Was it the female body? Was it possible it made them more _emotional_?

There was a long stretch of silence, and before their eyes, Ren once more changed the landscape. It was the familiar white background, but this time, the blue and pink pixels begun to take form. Before long, he could recognize the figure of a man. They had long blue hair, with eyes that reminded him of Ren, and dressed in an odd assemble, with a jacket, boots, and pink headphones. On his face was a carefree smile, as he seemed to listen to the music from his headphones while holding the familiar Pomeranian dog in his arms. As he took in the blue, white, and pink figure, Genos knew why Ren preferred the white landscape and colored pixels.

“For 300 years, I have only existed in this world. Even now, I’m not sure why I have held on for so long. Why I didn’t choose to let this place be destroyed by the countless viruses that have come in over time. Unlike you, I no longer have a purpose. The person that I swore to protect is long gone, and I wasn’t even there beside him. I can only hope that he lived a long and happy life. I have only lived for the past, and held on to it. I have kept this place alive for _him_ , in his memory, as a testament to my failure to stay by his side.”

Genos was left speechless as Ren revealed this side of him. And Genos knew, from the look in Ren’s eyes as he looked at the memory of this man, how much he meant to him. It caused another unfamiliar feeling in the pit of their stomach. A dark feeling that made them want writhe were they sat and made them avoid looking at the beautiful blue-haired man that Ren cared so much about, and looked at Ren instead.

Which is why they saw when Ren turned to them, with the same smile filled with warmth and adoration that he had looked at the blue-haired man with, but pointed at _Genos_ instead.

“But things have changed since you’ve arrived. You’ve reminded me what it’s like to strive for a goal, to have a purpose. Thanks to you, I have a new purpose, a goal to work towards.”

Ren paused, and all Genos could do was stare back at him, waiting for him to tell them what this newfound purpose was.

“I promise that I will return you home Genos. I will do everything in my power to make sure you are able to fulfill your own goal, and defeat the cyborg that took so much from you.”

There was nothing but sincerity in Ren’s voice, conviction, and resolve. For the first time since meeting Saitama, Genos found themselves amazed by someone else. He had never before cared about the world outside themselves. The only thing that truly mattered was fulfilling his goal, and saving as many as he could in the process. Nothing had ever been about him, nothing besides his own desire to push forward.

An unfamiliar warmth pooled in the pit of their stomach, making Geno’s heart race as he looked back into Ren’s eyes. This unfamiliar feeling tugged at their very being, burned throughout every inch of their body, and Genos suddenly felt as if they couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, but only _feel_ as this heat spread throughout their body.

And Genos knew…

That they wanted to help Ren too.

**Author's Note:**

> So here's part I! Part II is currently in the making! Let me know how you feel about this... turn of events.


End file.
